Al Horford’s reunion with the Boston Celtics was, in truth, a matter of financial convenience as much as anything else. Faced with Kemba Walker’s onerous contract, newly minted President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens saw an opportunity to shed some salary and introduce some roster flexibility by linking up with the tanking Oklahoma City Thunder, sending Walker into their cap space and bringing back Horford on a shorter deal for the cost of a first-round pick.
While the Celtics undoubtedly knew Horford still had some value on the court, nobody could have anticipated just how impactful he ended up being.